Somewhere around hour three of a long ride, something in your brain snaps and the thought of another sweet gel makes you want to get off and walk home. Every endurance athlete knows this wall. It is not glycogen. It is flavour fatigue.

That’s the moment biltong was made for.

What biltong actually gives you

A 30g handful of biltong is roughly 16g of protein, near-zero carbs, plus a proper dose of salt. Three hours into a sweaty ride, that is exactly what you’ve been losing. It is savoury, chewy, and forces you to slow down and actually eat rather than inhale another sachet of syrup.

Compare that to most “endurance” snacks, which are sugar in seventeen disguises. There’s a place for sugar. But it can’t be the whole menu.

When to eat it

  • Long, steady efforts. Audaxes, all-day hikes and back-to-back climbing days. Anything where you’re out for hours at conversational pace and real food beats lab food.
  • The mid-ride café stop that isn’t happening. Biltong plus a banana from a village shop is a legitimate lunch.
  • Straight after. The classic slot. Protein within an hour of finishing helps the repair job start. Biltong in the car park beats a shake you forgot to pack.
  • On the drive home. Technically recovery nutrition. Technically.

When to leave it in the pocket

Honesty time: biltong is not a sprint fuel. If you’re doing short, hard efforts, such as a criterium, intervals or a parkrun PB attempt, you want fast carbs, not protein. Chewing anything at threshold heart rate is a skill nobody needs to learn.

And drink when you eat it. It’s dried meat and salt; it wants water alongside. That’s not a flaw, it’s a reminder to do the thing you were forgetting anyway.

Why dry biltong travels best

Wet biltong is wonderful and belongs at home. In a jersey pocket on a warm day, you want a drier cut. It doesn’t mind heat, doesn’t sweat in the bag, and doesn’t turn to mush next to your multitool. This is why I make mine on the drier side of medium.

The field test

I ate these batches on long rides around London and on more Sunday loops than I can count. That is where most of the testing happened.

Fuel that earns its place in the pocket. That’s the whole standard.